When did you start loving me?
by kioku-no-kitsune
Summary: [first fanfic ever] Sakura begins to think about her relationship with naruto. It's just friendship...Sasuke is the only one she loves....right...? But, something's different...[pairingsone sided narusaku,possiblely onesided sasunaru]


**-DISCLAIMER-**

I don't own anything! Except for this very delicous ice cream that I'm eating. No You can't have any for free D:

* * *

"Naruto, I'm worried about y-" 

"We need to hurry.", He said, his normal-toned words cutting off her's. Even with the attempted side-tracking, her previous thoughts were already enbelmed into her mind. Her eyes glowed with unusual sympathy, yet all for shame, as he paced onwards, never even setting sight on her pained face.

* * *

"Naruto?" 

"...hm..?...Ah, Sakura-chan!"

"What are you doing here?, she asked, the cold wind swaying her pink hair into the air.

"'Getting some raaaamen! Why else would I be out here at this time?", He said, chuckling softly.

A smile surfaced on her tinted lips. "'Mind if I join you?", she asked, already knowing the answer.

* * *

"Itadkimasu!", they both spoke in union, laughing softly afterwards because of the silly coincidence. 

"This looks delicious!"

"It's even better if you actually taste it, sakura-chyyaaan."

"Haha, I know!"

The pink haired beauty began eating. The long noodles sliding down her throat, along with the warm, heavenly soup that followed filled her stomach. She looked around the humble shop, small but homey with bright lights shining in the dark night behind her. She looked at the shop owner and his daughter preparing food with smiles dancing upon their faces. Then, she looked at the boy next to her, smiling his million dollar smile. She gazed at him, her eyes glazed as she took in his features. Slowly , she returned back to her bowl, the warm scented air rising against her face. She, slowly began phasing out into the realm of her own mind, while still silently eating her dish, which taste seemed to disappear as her own thoughts appeared.

_This is so nice. I feel...I feel...comfortable? No...it's different...It's...something else. I've felt this before, in the same situation...with Naruto. Is it...Anger? No. Irrtated. No. Nothing like that. It's...something...happy. Why don't I feel this any other times...? Could it be...Could it be...?_

She quickly, partially covered her mouth as small gasp escaped her lips. The boy next to her looked over in worry, still slurping the last of his miso ramen.

_No...This isn't love...Sasuke is love...my one and only love...and nothing will ever change that. It's gone too far for anything to change that. This is...this is...a deep, comfortable friendship. Yes that's it, a deep comfortable friendship._

"Sakura-chan?", his words breaking through to her. She looked over at him, at the boy, no, at the man that helped her, promised unbelivable promies to her, made her smile and laugh and feel like no other girl in the world, the man that saved her life countless times in risk of his own. The man who she loved.

* * *

"Huh? Oh...um..Thank you?", she said, confused while taking the red jacket from his tanned hands. 

"You left it at my house. When you brought the ohagi, remember? Thanks for that by the way, They were delicious!", he uttered with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Oh!", she exclaimed with realization.

"You're welcome! I figured you could eat something other than ramen.", she said with a playful smirk until remembering she was the hostess, "Um, Would you like anything to eat?" A faint smile arose on his whiskered face.

Ramen.

* * *

She walked into her kitchen and stared, blankly at it, forcing her mind to remember where the ramen was kept. _Thud! _Was that naruto landing on her bed upstairs? Probably. She sighed. She didn't love him. How could she? It was hard enough being friends with such a hyperactive person, already! She smiled, giggling softly to herself as she kneeled next to the caibnet. 

Getting out the instant ramen stored under her caibnets, she smiled remembering who had given her it.

_"You'll need it in case of emergencies, Sakura-chyaan!"_

* * *

"Naruto, I'm bac-", she stopped her sentence after noticing Naruto staring at the top of her desk. His eyes were glazed, and held, but one emotion. Sadness, everything else was emtpy. Yet, it seemed as if his stare would soon burn holes in the framed photograph from the way he concentrated on it. 

"The ramen's ready," she said, placing the warm plastic bowls on the low table, "Let's eat before it gets-"

"Sakura.", he spoke, her name with no "-chan" and no emotion behind the word. The atmosphere became heavy, it seemed as if it was crushing her. Her body tensed from the deathly silence. "I'll get him back.", A pain shot out in her chest in stomach. It clenched her stomach and heart. "Don't worry.", she said, forcing a smile.

"Sakura, I-"

"Naruto. Don't.", she repeated, with more anger in her voice. He stared at her, a little taken back, and then lowered his head to the floor.

"I'm sorry", he whispered.

* * *

The sunrays touched the room while sakura lied in her bed, hours after she had awaken. 

_Why...why do I feel bad every time, he brings up sasuke? Oh yeah...guilt...right?_

She sighed, picking herself up and paced to her wardrobe. She dressed in her outfit and tied her hair, she was ready to go. She walked over to her mirror, ready to admire herself when she noticed the object Naruto had been staring at. The team 7 photograph, framed, in all it's glory. Everything, was so much simpler...so much happier back then. She picked it up, carefully, as if it would combust into flames if something happened to it. A frown formed on her pretty face. The pain was coming back. She looked at Naruto, glaring at Sasuke.

_He loves me...as much as...I loved Sasuke...No...I still love Sasuke...I do...I really do..._

Then, she looked in the mirror. She half sat, half fell to the floor, sobs escaping her throat. Her tounge caught the taste of salty tears as they rolled down her pale cheeks.

_Do I? Do I still love him? Sasuke! Do you love me? How long...How long can I keep pretending nothing is wrong? How long can I keep pretending...that Sasuke didn't betray everyone, that he never did ignore me, that...that he loved me...even if only a little. He...he...left me...Naruto...Naruto, he...did everything he could...for me._

* * *

She stared at him. His beautiful, ruffled hair. His sparkling blue eyes. His sunkissed tan. 

He stared at her, half confused, half scared as why the hell she was staring at him like she was about to eat him.

"Let's go on a date! A real one!", she suddenly exclaimed.

"EH?!?!?!"

"So how about it?"

"..."

"Naruto?"

"Um...Well...I can't..."

"What? But you're always pestering me about one! And now you tell me you can't?!?! What the hell, Uzumaki?!?!?!"

"Sa-Sa-Saku-ra...-ch-ch-an...", he stuttered with hands in front of him as a sort of defense, while the dark, choking aura around the angered female grew.

"It just wouldn't feel right...", he said, looking to the side, his cheeks still laced with cold sweat.

"What do you mean?", she asked, her state of calmness returned to her.

"Er...", he stalled while thinking of an explanation.

"You've always been asking me on a date ever since we were twelve. Ino even told me you had a crush on me...", she said.

"That's true!", he confirmed, "But...I realized...it maybe...er...probably would never work out...Sasuke-"

"Sasuke doesn't mean to me the same way you do!", she cried, on the verge of tears.

"Yeah...", he said, eyes cast on the ground, thoughts racing through his head, one of which being, "_Since when was Sakura in love with me?_"

"I've got to go...Sakura...", he said before hurrying off in a direction, leaving the girl stranded, his last words with lack of emotion echoing through her blank mind.

_Since when...did he stop having a crush on me...?_


End file.
